


Promises Travel

by CocoaChoux



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet, Dimension Travel, Ereri Secret Santa 2015, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-09 03:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5524034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoaChoux/pseuds/CocoaChoux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>One promise could lead to more. </em> </p><p>
  <em>And for Levi, he intended to keep every one of them no matter where Eren may be.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning of an End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yummysuika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yummysuika/gifts).



> This is my Secret Santa fic for yummysuika! I hope you enjoy it m'dear~ (This is unbeta's so I hope you don't mind my weird grammatical errors. OTL)
> 
> Next chapter will be posted very soon (before the end of the year)! ^^

It started off as one promise that turned into a few.

Ones Levi shouldn’t have made but did in order to see hope and determination in those eyes he fell in love with so long ago.

A promise to see Eren again. A promise to make Eren smile again.

But how could he have made those promises if he couldn’t even protect Eren in the end?

A promise to make Eren laugh again. A promise to hold Eren again.

He still remembered the warmth Eren radiated and that nothing else in the world mattered as long as Eren was by his side.

A promise to kiss Eren again. A promise to love Eren over and over again.

Eren was always the first thing on his mind when he woke up to see the brunet’s sleeping face and the last thought before he closed his eyes to Eren’s beautiful smile.

A promise to be there until the very end.

He told Eren that he would find him in their next life as he watched the last bit of light from Eren’s eyes go away.

A final promise that should they be reborn in a different life that they would love each other again.

He remembered the last smile Eren gave him before he followed shortly under the same fate.

A promise that turned into a few was his last thoughts before he died.

Humanity won in the end; however, there was no celebration for them.

Promises that were put on hold until they could find each other again.

With their eyes closed, all they could do was dream.

Dreaming of their future together as Levi’s lifeless body rested on top of Eren’s.

Together forever, the promise that they first made.

A promise that they dreamed about until they opened their eyes again.

* * *

A white, metal ball with grey metal tubes coming out of its body was holding two trays and floated around the hallways until it reached the closed door of a bedroom. With a little ‘whir’ sound, the door opened and the floating device went up to the bed where a mop of black hair was sticking out from the covers.

Placing the trays down on the nightstand, it stared at the sleeping figure for a moment until the time turned exactly 7:00:00 AM.

“Good morning! Good morning!” it greeted.

Levi groaned in reply as he twisted and turned on the bed.

“Mr. Levi! Mr. Levi! It’s time to wake up!”

Against his wishes, he felt the covers being pulled off and he instinctively curled more into himself so that he could retain some of the warmth from his body.

“Okay! Commencing ‘Fucking Annoying Alarm’ sequence!”

Levi shot up at that and he was immediately greeted by the floating orb as it retracted its arms. “Good morning, Mr. Levi! You are finally awake. I will now abort the ‘Fucking Annoying Alarm’ sequence.”

The man grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” The robotic orb said. “Today is December 25, 2851. It is currently 7:00:28 AM and the current weather is clear sunny skies at -5 degrees outside. Would you like me to proceed to tell you your plans for today?” it asked as it made a whirring sound. The metallic arms came out of its main body to grab a cup off the tray.

“Go for it,” Levi said as he accepted the cup of black tea that was given to him.

“Okay!” the arms retracted and there was another whirring noise. “It seems like you are meeting with Dr. Hange and Mr. Erwin today at noon for lunch.”

Levi took a sip of his tea before answering, “Cancel it.”

The robotic orb twisted side to side. “I cannot proceed with the cancellation, Mr. Levi. I have been informed that this meeting is very important and it cannot be overwritten.”

The raven scoffed as he finishes his tea. Of fucking course Hange programed his robot to say that today so that he had no choice on the matter. Knowing how Hange’s reactions would be if he were to intentionally skip, he sighed, bracing what kind of hell the day will bring despite the cold weather. “Fine. Thanks, LAPA.”

“My pleasure!” it said cheerfully.

LAPA, or L.A.P.A., was short for “Levi’s Amazing Personal Assistant.” A robot Hange specifically designed (and named) for him. When asked why they made him one, Hange told him, “Because you seem lonely and – don’t give me that look, Levi, I know you are – and need something to talk to. Also, who wouldn’t want one? Robots are so cool! It literally takes care of itself so you don’t have to worry about giving in affection or feeding it and stuff.”

Though he was reluctant at first to have a floating metal contraption around his house, he quickly got used to having LAPA around, especially since its whirring sounds and cheerfulness made his house seem a lot less empty.

Levi placed his empty cup on the tray and watched the thin metal arms come out of its main body again to take the tray away and replaced it with a different tray that had another cup of tea and a plate of eggs, sausage, and toast onto Levi’s lap. Without being prompted to, Levi grabbed the fork and knife on the tray and started eating. (Another great thing about LAPA was that it could make any kind of food Levi wanted without him needing to wake up early in the morning to prepare it).

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Levi?” LAPA asked.

“No, I think everything is in order.”

“Okay! I will go clean up the kitchen until you are finished.” LAPA started to whir away but stopped to say one final thing. “Oh! I almost forgot. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Mr. Levi!” It turned back again and floated towards the door.

Watching the door shut, Levi put down the utensils looked down at his food with a blank look, his heart sinking when he realized what today was.

“Thank you, LAPA,” he whispered, wishing that his promised one was by his side, celebrating a day that he used to look forward to because Eren used to be there with him.

Picking up the fork, Levi blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill as he continued to eat alone.

A simple fork had never felt so heavy.

* * *

“You look like shit,” was the first thing Levi was greeted with when he sat down in front of them.

Levi shrugged off his coat as a robot came by to collect it. “Right back at ya four-eyes.”

Erwin chuckled. “It has been 2000 years and you still haven’t improved on your insults.”

The black-haired man shrugged. “I guess.”

His two friends raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay, Levi? Normally this would be the part where you would create a shittier comeback,” Hange asked.

“I’m not feeling well I suppose.” Levi thanked the robot that came by to place down his usual hot drink.

Erwin sat straighter at that. “Is it because it’s your birthday? Or is it because Eren’s not here with you?”

Levi pressed his lips closed together and elected to ignore the man as he coddled the warm mug closer to him.

“Oh, Levi…” Hange started.

“Don’t,” Levi sharply said. “Just… don’t okay? I don’t want to be reminded that another year has passed and I still haven’t found him.”

“Levi, please, you’re being too hard on yourself,” Erwin said, trying to calm the man down.

Levi let out a bark of laughter and his friends’ hearts clenched when they heard how empty his laugh was. “Sure, Erwin. Waiting for 2000 years is a piece of cake, no problem at all.”

Despite being reborn with his memories for 8 lifetimes, Eren was nowhere to be found. He found Hange and Erwin in all of them and his old squad three years after being reborn. Hell, he even found his new squad, Eren’s friends, halfway through his fourth year of being reincarnated, even Armin and Mikasa.

When he asked every single person if they had found Eren yet, he was given a solemn frown, a head shake, and a look of pity.

No.

No one has found Eren yet.

Any hope Levi had in his heart when he saw someone he remembered, died when he got a no about Eren’s whereabouts.

It hurt when he realized that Eren wasn’t by his side to see the world with him, to see that beautiful smile that enraptured him, to hold and love him, to live and grow old with him. It hurt so fucking much that he wasn’t able to keep the promises he made so many years ago.

His friends _knew_ it was a sensitive topic for him, yet here they were, saying Eren’s name, like a reminder that Levi had failed to find him yet again.

Erwin exhaled. “Levi, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Levi grunted in response and Hange’s tone of voice went softer. “You know we’re always here for you.”

“I know, you’ve only said it pretty much every time I see your ugly mug.”

Hange smiled at that. “So, how are you since we last saw you?”

“You mean since yesterday? The same thing as always: work, eat, clean, and sleep.”

“So no special preparations for today?” Erwin asked.

Levi shrugged. “No.” Even though it was Christmas, Levi noticed that every time he was reborn, there were less and less people celebrating the holiday, waving it off as another day. Even in this lifetime, all of the stores were opened and there weren’t any Christmas decorations at all compared to what he was used to when he was reborn the first time.

Though Levi had never really partaken in on holiday celebrations, even he found it depressing as hell.

He risked his life in order to free humanity, and to see the world become like this – a world with constant grey skies and the millions of people inhabiting it were just going on with their day like the robots they created – he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it in the end.

If Eren were with him though, he would probably say something optimistic like the reason why the skies were grey was because there wasn’t enough flowers and trees for the sun to come back and that they should rally up with their friends to go across the city to plant beautiful greenery, and that people lost their way and that they should help them find their dreams, one at a time.

Levi sighed as he looked down at the hot chocolate he was holding. He wasn’t too particularly fond of sweet drinks, but it used to be Eren’s favorite back when Levi managed to get his hands on some chocolate and made the drink for Eren because it seemed like something the brunet would like.

He still remembered the way that Eren’s eyes lit up whenever Levi offered a mug filled with the sweet liquid to him before sitting next to him in front of the fire, pressed close to each other as they talked about everything and nothing until they went to sleep.

Hange and Erwin watched as Levi let out a small smile filled with sadness before drinking the rest of his hot chocolate, not noticing the concerned looks his friends were giving him. The two looked at each other and Erwin nudged his head towards Levi’s direction with a firm look and Hange nodded in response.

“Hey, Levi?” Hange said slowly.

“Hm?”

“You know how it’s your birthday, right?”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m well aware. Apparently I have the same birthday from our previous life, just like you guys and every other person who was ever reincarnated into this world.”

It was Hange’s turn to roll their eyes. “Humor me here. Anyway, we have a gift for you. Or, well, it’s kind of a gift. More like an opportunity than anything.”

Levi gave them an interested look. “Oh?”

“It’s still in the works though. We need a test subject to see if this is something worth looking into more,” Erwin said.

“It better! As fascinating as it is, I lost so many hours of sleep just so I could have it cleared for today,” Hange added.

Levi felt his eye twitch. “What the fuck are you two talking about?”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry! But Levi, this is such an amazing opportunity! Heck, I would love to be the first person to go through it, but alas, there needs to be someone to monitor and record all any abnormalities.” Ah, there it was. The crazy mad scientist that was Hange appeared once again.

Seeing Levi scowl, Erwin decided to interject before Hange could go off again. “What are your opinions on space and dimension travelling?”

Short and straight to the point was Erwin’s style, but that doesn’t mean that it made any sense to Levi’s ears. “I repeat, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Erwin took a deep breath. “I think we should move to the office. What we’re going to explain to you is strictly confidential and you need to sign a form that you will not disclose any of the information we’re about to tell you whether or not you will accept in doing it.”

Looking at Erwin’s serious face, Levi sighed. “Fine, have it your way. I don’t have anything else better to do anyway.”

The raven didn’t like the way that the two grinned in the same manner and wondered if he made the right choice. “Perfect.”

* * *

“Hold on for a second,” Levi said as he raised his hand to interrupt Erwin’s speech. “You’re telling me that you guys were part of a super secretive project that is trying to develop a machine that allows people to travel to different dimensions in space?”

“Yup!” Hange replied.

“And that this machine has already been built and you need a person to test it?” Levi continued.

“Correct. And before you ask, yes, we’re asking if you would be willing to be our test subject.”

Levi rubbed the temples of his head. “Why?”

“Why what? You’ll need to be more specific.”

The shorter man glared at the blond who was sitting in front of him behind a desk. “Why do I even bother,” Levi muttered. “Okay, first off, why the interest in dimension jumping? What’s the benefit for us? And doesn’t it fuck everything over if I don’t know, some outside entity of space randomly appeared into another dimension?”

“Well, the exact reason as to why the project for space dimension jumping was approved is unknown. To be perfectly honest, this whole project is in a huge grey area as to whether or not it would be beneficial for us in the end. It’s highly possible that we would unknowingly start a galactic war-”

“That sounds so cool! Just imagine all the different kinds of weapons they could destroy us with!” Hange interjected.

“Right,” Erwin continued. “Anyway, while there’s that possible negative outcome, there is also the possibility that we would be able to establish contact and a relationship with these other dimensions. If it goes in our favor, we would be able to advance in our technological developments and gain new resources to improve our world.”

“Sounds like bullshit to me. Was there any research done at all whether or not it would be viable for us to go on with this project? Hell, do these different dimensions even exist in the first place?”

“While our research came out inconclusive as to whether or not it would be successful, we can confirm that there are indeed other dimensions with actual lifeforms and lifestyles different from ours. That’s why we need a test subject to go through with the experiment and go from there,” Hange added.

“I wonder how much of the tax payer’s money went into this,” Levi mused. “Okay, sure. It totally sounds like there was a lot of thought and effort put into this project to me,” he said in a sarcastic tone of voice before continuing, “But I don’t see why you want me to be the test subject. I certainly wouldn’t be a good representative for our world.”

“Oh don’t worry, we took your charming personality into account,” Erwin said drily. “However, given the fact that we know you personally, we know that you’re more than capable of handling tight situations and making strategic decisions should the situation arise. You’re resourceful and your blunt way of speaking makes it easy for the other party to understand what your intentions are.”

Levi tsk-ed as he crossed his arms. “That may be, but surely there’s others who are more qualified to do this.”

“Oh, there is, but…”

“You want to find Eren, right?” Hange asked.

Levi gave them a confused look. “Yes, but why are you bringing this up now?”

“Have you ever considered that Eren might not be in _this_ world, but in a different world and dimension?”

Levi’s eyes widened as he processed the information. He never actually considered it before; he always thought that he might have been reborn in a different lifetime than Eren, or that Eren was in another part of the world or something along those lines, but not once had he considered that Eren might be in a different dimension, alive somewhere without him, waiting.

The thought of Eren living in another dimension growing up and possibly doubting the promises he made when Eren couldn’t find him day after day made his heart clench painfully.

 _If_ Eren was out there somewhere, and there was a chance for Levi to go find him, like hell he would turn away the opportunity.

A chance to see Eren again, to hold and love Eren again.

With a steady voice, Levi looked at the two of them with a determined look in his eyes. “I’ll do it.”

The blond man gave him a steeled look. “Are you sure, Levi? There is a chance that this experiment might alter your mind and body itself and that the ‘you’ might be different than what you were before. We also cannot guarantee your safety nor can we guarantee that you’ll be able to come back in this world. There are a lot of risks and unknowns with this, so I ask again, are you sure this is the choice you’ll make?”

“I made a promise,” was what Levi said with no hesitation.

They stared at each other for a moment before Erwin sighed and shook his head with a small smile. “Still not deterred, huh? Alright then.” A clear screen popped up before him and Levi. “I’ll need you to look over this to understand all the safety precautions, risk management assessments, and confidentiality protection that are associated with your agreement. Once you sign this, we can immediately send you off to the lab.”

Levi glazed over the screen and scrolled down so he could sign it, ignoring Erwin’s sigh of disapproval and Hange’s cackle as he elected to ignore all the fancy mumbo-jumbo jargon.

He doesn’t care as he remembered all the attempts he has tried over his lifetimes in order to be reunited with Eren – travelling to well-known and distant lands, speaking to all the locals and the people who claim to predict the future, years of working his way up to be famous so that Eren could find him, and going through directories and police records to find clues as to who could be related to Eren.

For years and years, he has tried everything with no results.

And this? This might lead him to Eren – where his true heart and home was.

Once Erwin authorized the document with his own signature, they left the man’s office and were transferred down to a restricted area after Erwin coded a few lines into the system. Once they were at the entryway, a robot did a full body scan on each of them before allowing them inside.

Levi let out a low whistle as he followed his friends towards the back end of the lab. There were a lot of different kinds of machinery as he passed by and he briefly wondered what other secret project the government has been planning.

They walked by other scientists and engineers, greeting as they did so until they reached another security area. Once again, Erwin entered a few codes and the door opened for them to go in.

Hange had an extra bounce to their step as they stopped in front of a table to pick up a device and was shaking from excitement as they were holding it. “Levi, this is the “Time and Space has Intertwined” machine, also known as “TASHI.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “What’s with you and creating names out of acronyms? And are you fucking serious? That looks like an old VR headset from early 2000s. I thought our technology has further advanced since those times.”

“Hey! If you actually read the file before signing your life away, you would know that this will be attached to you at all times while we put you in a cryogenic state and hook you up with the body translator to record any unusual brain and body frequencies and to make sure your heart is still functioning,” they defended.

“Alright, alright,” Levi said in surrender. “So I just need to put on that thing and get hooked up so you guys can monitor any progress and make sure I don’t die, right?”

“Precisely,” Erwin said. “Do you want to do this now or wait a day or two to mentally prepare yourself?”

“Now.” Who knew what would happen if Levi even waited a second too long to find Eren. Just one little second could change a future, and Levi would rather find Eren sooner than later.

“Okay then! Now, sit down here while I record your mental and physical state as well as a blood sample,” Hange said as they scurried off to get all the necessary tools.

“Since we’re the ones who offered this to you, you will be written-off from work until further notice; however, is there anything else we can do for you?” Erwin asked, concerned laced in his voice.

“I’ll be fine, Erwin. Just make sure my house is still intact and can you also let LAPA know that I’ll be gone for an indefinite amount of time?”

Erwin smiled as he patted Levi’s back. “Sure thing.”

Hange finally came back with all the tools and proceeded to measure and record every little aspect of Levi and installing a chip in his arm before giving him the okay.

Taking a deep breath, Levi entered the pod that he was supposed to be in and leaned into the cushions that he nestled into. He felt the pod compress into him to make sure he wouldn’t make any large movements to hurt himself and the weird VR-looking contraption was securely placed onto his head.

There were multiple sounds, but all Levi could focus on was his breathing. Hope was filling in his chest once more. In just a few seconds, he could possibly be in the same world as Eren.

“Ready?” he heard Hange call for him.

He gave them a smile and heard a laugh back.

“Okay short stuff. Be safe and give Eren a big ol’ hug from me, alright?”

“I’ll try not to do anything weird to him like you would,” he retorted.

There was even louder sounds and there was slight vibrations coming from his headset.

“Take care, Levi. And Happy Birthday,” he heard Erwin say.

“Happy Birthday Levi! Go kick some alien butt if you see them! Oh! And make sure to bring back any samples for me as a souvenir to test on!”

“See you losers next time,” were the final words Levi said before he felt coldness seep into him and closed his eyes to nothingness.


	2. Promises Fulfilled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally done! Sorry for the wait! OTL This chapter took longer than expected and I cried a few times writing it. ;w;

Levi scrunched his eyebrows when he saw a light behind his eyelids. Prying his eyes open slowly, he gave them time to adjust to the sudden brightness.

He yelped and sat up straight when he saw big, beady eyes staring right at him.

Shuffling away and making sure there was enough distance between him and the creature, Levi noted that he was in a meadow of some sort.

While the environment was similar to what he has experienced before, what set everything off for him was the fact that the skies were pure orange in color – not like a sunset, just orange – and that the creature in front of him was the size of a human teenager.

Levi doesn’t know where to even start describing it. It honestly looked like a hybrid of a dog and a dragon. It rolled onto its back and stuck out its tongue at him but Levi could see the combination of fur and scales over its brightly-colored body.

It was fucking weird to put it bluntly.

Seeing as the man hasn’t moved for a while, the creature slowly moved towards him sluggishly.

Levi’s felt himself twitching when he realized that _it_ was the one who was trying to approach him with caution like an animal than the other way around.

When the creature was close enough, it rested its head on Levi’s lap and stuck out its tongue again.

The man grimaced but remained still. He didn’t know what to fucking do. It appeared as though the TASHI worked unless his friends in actuality drugged him and locked him up into a room that projected a realistic hologram of the scene around him and genetically modified an animal to make it look like whatever it was on his lap, but given the long and unnecessary procedures he went through, it didn’t seem realistic given the timeframe and amount of work put into the elaborate scheme.

(But the sad things was, was that he wouldn’t be surprised if they actually did end up doing similar to him in the future).

There were a series of weird barking sounds and Levi looked down to see those beady eyes again. He was no mind reader, but he could see that it wanted to be petted.

After an internal debate with himself, he ended his self-argument with ‘oh fuck it’ and slowly raised his hand and petted the soft fur behind its ears. The creature’s belly rumbled before it twisted away from Levi and coughed out a fireball.

Well, wasn’t that nice?

Fearing for his life for a bit, Levi continued to pet the fur patches of its body, not sure if he was allowed to touch the scales or not. Its tail was wagging back in forth in a constant tempo and Levi felt himself relax just a little. It wasn’t so bad wherever he was, but he couldn’t help but wonder what else in this world was there to see.

“Shaku? Where are you boy?” a voice called out.

The creature’s ears perked up at the name and lifted its head to find the source of the sound, the tail wagging faster in excitement as it gruff out its reply.

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Shaku (Levi assumed that it was its name) got up and – oh god, what was with this place? – walked towards the sound like a regular human being.

He couldn’t help but stare as Shaku leaned his head on the new person’s chest and receiving a few pats on his head before he was getting scolded. “I told you not to get too far away from me. Do you know how worried I was? You even bothered the nice gentleman over there. No treats for you today.”

Shaku whined at that and the person scoffed. “Nuh uh, your eyes aren’t going to save you this time.” The stranger looked up to Levi and gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about him; he’s really friendly to everyone.”

Levi didn’t reply back. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the person’s face. “Eren?” he said in a whisper.

The person cocked their head to the side. “Yes, that’s my name. And you are…?”

Levi studied the person’s features: tall, tan, and built was what he instantly noticed; however, there were other parts of Eren that were different from what he remembered.

The brown hair that Levi enjoyed running his fingers through was longer this time, long enough to be pulled into a ponytail. His jawline was more pronounced and the overall demeanor was different.

But his eyes.

They weren’t the green Levi was used to.

Instead, they were grey in color.

He looked so much like Eren but he wasn’t at the same time.

Levi felt his heart stutter and he had to swallow to calm down his nerves. “Levi. My name is Levi.”

“Levi?” Eren repeated. “You have the same name as my lover.”

The man felt his heart drop and his head throbbed in response. _‘What?’_

The other male laughed and Levi realized that he said his thoughts out loud. “Oh, sorry. I have husband who has the same name as you and I just pointed it out. Actually, you kind of look like him,” Eren said as he approached Levi to take a closer look. “ _Very_ much like him. Stars, you could be his twin, except that your hair is shorter than his and that his eyes are blue.”

With the closer proximity, Levi realized that though this person was Eren, it wasn’t _his_ Eren.

Eren’s grey eyes widened in surprised as he pulled away. “I’m sorry! Are you okay? Did I offend you in some way?”

Levi blinked and he felt tears going down his cheeks. And once he realized it, his tears wouldn’t stop. He crouched down and tried to stifle his sobs as he felt the painful ache in his heart.

_‘Eren, where are you?’_

* * *

“Are you feeling better now?” Eren asked as he passed a mug to Levi.

“I am, thank you,” he said as he accepted the mug of hot tea, blowing on it lightly before taking a sip.

There was another person who was with them and they looked at Levi with a mixture of surprise, annoyance, and interest. “Well, this is fucking weird,” the person commented.

“Levi!” Eren said as he whacked the person in the arm. “Behave.”

The person shrugged as he flipped his black ponytail. “Fine, fine. Anyway, you’re Levi, right?”

Levi nodded as he took another sip, not verbally responding to his look-a-like.

“Okay, next question then. Are you from around here? No offense, but the kind of cloth you’re wearing is something I’ve never seen before and you have weird things on your arms.”

Levi looked at his arms that had microchips imbedded into them. He supposed that it was weird, but in his world, it was normal for everyone to have these chips as they were the source of information, identification and payment. There was no need to carry wallets or electronic devices as it was on the person already. “I guess so, huh? To answer your question, no, I’m not from here or from this world for that matter. You could say that I’m from the future, or more accurately, another dimension.”

The ponytail-Levi’s eye twitched at the answer and Levi smirked in amusement because he knew he would have reacted the same way. “Eren, are you sure he did not enter the desert goddess’s realm before coming here?” Eren rolled his eyes at that and ponytail-Levi returned his attention back to the black-haired man. “Okay, if you’re from another dimension, what’s your purpose in our world?”

Levi shrugged. “Nothing much, trying to see if this whole dimension jumping thing works and to see if I can establish trust and relationships with the worlds to make agreements about resources and technology and stuff. Honestly though? I stopped paying attention to what Erwin said after the first sentence of his explanation.”

The other two raised their brows. “Erwin? Erwin Smith? As in our village head chief? The first son of the mountain creeks and forest waters?” Eren asked.

Levi put down his drink and gave them a confused look. “No. I’m talking about Erwin in my world, head executive of a company that I work for that builds new robotic parts and systematically creating androids.” At their blank looks, he added, “He’s in charge of new technology.”

“Ah,” they both said. Ponytail-Levi relaxed in his seat as he asked, “Why were _you_ sent though? If you’re like me, there’s no way in underground waters that you would agree to doing this, nor are you able to negotiate in a civilized manner if you were in contact with another lifeform.”

Levi snorted. “Tell me about it.” He glanced at Eren who was staring at him with wonder. Even though this Eren wasn’t his Eren, he still had the same look of discovery and curiosity. “The other purpose, the real purpose of this, is that I was trying to find Eren.”

“Me?” Eren asked.

Levi scratched the back of his head. “Yes and no. You are Eren, but you’re not my Eren.”

“Speak more clearly. Stars alive,” Ponytail-Levi scoffed.

“Trust me, this isn’t really a walk in the park for me either,” Levi muttered. “But, in my world, I’ve made a promise to my Eren many, many years ago that we would be together and be reunited after we died. 2000 years has passed since then and I’ve been reborn into 8 different lifetimes and I have not yet found him, not even a clue.

“In the present lifetime, my world now has technology that pushes the boundary of what mankind can do. Erwin and Hange – I’m guessing you two know of a Hange in your world and I hope they’re not as crazy as the one I’m familiar with – proposed that I should be a part of this experiment that will allow me to travel between different dimensions. I accepted because there is a possibility that my Eren was reborn into a different world and I need to find him to fulfill my end of the promise.”

The couple was silent as they listened to Levi’s story. Glancing at his husband, Eren noted the steely look on his face. Eren exhaled and looked at his husband’s look-a-like. “Can I assume that this is the first world you jumped into?” At the man’s nod, Eren continued, “If what you’re saying is true, then you would be jumping through an infinite amount of dimensions just trying to find him.”

“I’ve waited 2000 years at this point. I have no problem spending the rest of my lifetime searching for him,” Levi said in a determined voice.

Eren sighed but gave him a gentle smile. “You love him that much?”

“Always have, always will.”

“Oi, you’re making me look bad here,” Ponytail-Levi pointed out.

Eren laughed and kissed his cheek. “I’m sure you would do the same as he, as would I if I were in his position.”

Ponytail-Levi reached to grab Eren’s hand and ran his thumb over his knuckles. “Of course. No high waters, nor elder dragon, nor space and time can keep me away from you. I made an oath to love and protect you in front of the protected rainwaters goddess’s fountains. My determination would not be so easily defeated.”

Eren smiled beautifully at that and leaned in to kiss his husband. Levi looked away, not in disgust, but in envy. Envious of someone who was him, but different, being able to freely hold and love Eren until the end of time. A Levi who found his Eren in this world.

But he, Levi, has not found his own Eren. Not in this world for that matter, but perhaps in another.

Levi sighed as he looked down to the chips that blinked a few different colors, wondering how he would be able to jump into the next dimension.

Even though he would have liked to explore this world more, he wanted- no, _needed_ to find Eren soon.

As though it sensed his thoughts, the chip that Hange installed into him before using the TASHI, started beeping, surprising the couple who were not used to such thing. “What the stars is going on?” Ponytail-Levi asked.

“I think I’m going to be moving to another dimension.”

“You’re leaving already?” Eren asked.

“I think so, yeah. That’s fine with me; it means I can find my Eren sooner rather than later.”

Eren let go of his hold from his Levi and reached over to cup Levi’s cheek, “You’ll find him. I believe in you.”

Levi let out a small smile. “Thank you, Eren. And Levi,” he turned to look at the other man. “Cherish him. There’s only one of him in this world and I sure as hell don’t want you to have to go through the same thing as I am right now.”

Ponytail-Levi smirked. “Of course, you have my word. Farewell, other me.”

There was a bark and Levi looked down to see Shaku whining as it nuzzled into Levi’s shoulder. “It was nice meeting you. Make sure Eren doesn’t do anything idiotic, alright?”

“Hey!”

Levi smiled as the beeping increased in volume and a flash of light surrounded him before he felt himself falling.

The last thing he heard was Ponytail-Levi’s laughter and Eren’s chuckle joining in as his thoughts ended up thinking about his Eren and how much he wanted to see him again.

* * *

Levi wondered what the hell he did in his first life in order for some deity or whatever Holy Spirit to fuck over his life like this.

He was staring into the vibrant green eyes of a tabby cat meowing at him and a black cat with grey and blue eyes hissing beside him.

He sighed as he observed the litter behind the two cats. Five newly-born kittens were mewling, trying to find its mother.

The black cat stopped hissing when it heard its babies’ cries and went back to them, licking each one before lying next to them so that they could drink their milk.

Levi sighed as he reached his hand out for the tabby cat to sniff, before it nuzzled into his hand. The man scratched the tabby behind its ears and heard purring sounds coming out. “I guess you found each other, eh, Eren?”

Green eyes blinked at him as it meowed and scampered away to his family.

The man sat down a safe distance away from them as he placed his elbows on his thighs and rested his head on his hands. _‘Another world, and another Levi that has found their Eren but me.’_

How many worlds have Levi traveled to by now? 200? 300? He lost count after the 20th world and no Eren in sight.

Correction, _his_ Eren was nowhere in sight.

Each time he has encountered an Eren in a different world, he already has a Levi right with him (or her since there were some worlds where Eren was a girl).

And if there wasn’t another-world Levi around, Levi would help that Eren find them.

He would lead those Erens to their Levis and they would live and love each other for the rest of their lives.

He was exhausted.

Time after time, his Eren was not in the world he was in. He doesn’t even know how much time in his world has actually passed. A year or several, he does not know and does not care, not anymore. Time made no difference to him as it was the same thing over and over again.

The other Levis have found their Erens and his Eren was not with him.

Day after day, world after world, Levi even questioned at some point during his travels what he was doing and what the point of it all was anyway.

Eren, the answer was always Eren.

Eren was the start of it all, and he would be the end of it. The start of his happiness and the end of his loneliness.

Levi rubbed his eyes. Shit, he felt like crying again. He hasn’t shed tears since the first world he traveled to, mentally preparing himself to see the next Eren as he has done so many times now.

The man was startled out of his stupor when he felt something on his lap followed by a soft meow.

A kitten was on his lap, followed by another, and another until all five were on his lap, softly mewling and moving around to get comfortable. He glanced over to see the two cats curled up next to each other right in front of him. The black one shifted closer to lick a few of the kittens’ faces, ignoring their mewls of protest as the black cat cleaned them.

Levi chuckled. “No matter what form, I’d still be the clean freak, huh?”

The black cat meowed in reply as it returned back to its spot next to the tabby.

“You have a beautiful family,” Levi complimented. “They’re going to be little shits until they’re older, but that’s how kids are I guess.”

The cats didn’t reply but they stared at him with interest.

“Back then, Eren and I talked about our future. Getting married, exploring the world, building a house next to the ocean he always so fondly spoke of, and maybe adopting a few kids from the orphanage to start a family.” Levi gently rubbed his fingers under a kitten’s chin. “But then shit happened and we never got our happy ending.”

Levi breathed heavily. “I just- so much time has passed by and I know I shouldn’t give up, just like how Eren wouldn’t, but I just need to at least know that he’s out there, alive and waiting. Hell, he could have been reborn into my world and then passed away while I’m jumping around trying to find him,” he let out a dark chuckle. “I wouldn’t be surprised if life decided to fuck over my life like that.”

The two cats let out a hiss before meowing insistently at him.

“Oi, what’s the matter?”

They continued meowing and hearing their parents’ calls, the kittens on his lap starting mewling along with them.

“Ah geez, noisy shits aren’t you?” Levi gently removed the kittens off his lap and placed them with their parents.

The cats stopped their meows which in turn made the kittens stopped their mewling.

Levi rubbed the temples of his head. “I’m losing it. I’m starting to talk to cats now.” He felt a light pressure on his knee and saw that the tabby cat was leaning onto him. “What is it, Eren?”

The cat tilted his head and meowed before rubbing his head on Levi’s knee.

The man felt his heart swell with affection. He slowly reached for its head and smiled when Eren nuzzled into it. “One thing that’s for sure is that no matter where I go, Eren is always there to care and be affectionate with me.” Scratching behind Eren’s ears, he continued, “I guess this is your way to say good luck, huh?” A meow was all that he needed to hear. “Thank you.”

The tabby cat slowly moved away and the black cat came over to lick Levi’s fingers. “Gross,” he scrunched up his nose but laughed when he received a nip in retaliation for the comment. “Okay, okay. I guess I should thank you since you and I are similar.”

With one final pat on the cat’s head, Levi stood up and stretched, the chip on his arm started beeping once more. “I guess it’s time for me to go again.” The cats meowed and the kittens mewled. “Take care of your family and don’t be too rough on Levi next time, Eren.”

If a cat could look smug, then it was what Eren was doing now.

The black cat used its tail to swat at Eren, and Levi laughed as the beeping sounds grew louder.

Some things never change.

* * *

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Levi ran down an alleyway he never thought he would see again and turned into a building where he knew where the exit to the outside was.

He stopped and regained his breath when he heard no more rushing footsteps and yelling behind him. Quietly, he sneaked off and hid behind the familiar houses and streets, trying his best to avoid people.

There was no point in blending in.

One look at his face and someone would scream at the top of their lungs that Humanity’s Strongest was still alive.

Dodging an incoming crowd of people, Levi quickly rushed to the outskirts of town, bypassing the people standing on guard as he went inside a building.

Slowing down his breathing, he hid in the shadows and waited, knowing that it would be long until they arrive.

Levi probably counted the amount of books in the bookshelf about 15 times until the door swung open as familiar figures filled up the room.

“Great progress so far, Hange. Is there anything else you would like to report?”

“Nope! Though, I did hear some strange rumour milling around here.”

“What rumour?”

“People have reported that they have seen Corporal Levi running around the streets here, sir.”

There were murmurs as Erwin sighed. “Hange, I know that you miss him, them, we all do; however, it has been a year now. They’re long gone.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

All heads whipped to the source of the voice as Levi stepped out of his spot. “Surprise.”

Instantly (and exactly what Levi expected), everyone in the room unsheathed their blades and positioned themselves in a defensive stance.

“Who are you and why do you look like the corporal?” Mikasa hissed out.

Levi rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “That’s because it _is_ me, Ackerman.”

“Lies!” Sasha yelled.

“The dead do not speak,” Jean pointed out.

“That’s only if the dead were actually dead. But you’re not exactly wrong, I did die yet here I am. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Stop speaking in riddles!” Connie demanded.

“Answer us this, are you the corporal?” Armin asked.

Levi saluted, one that he has not done in over 2000 years yet it seemed like the movement was ingrained throughout the years because he did it so naturally. “The one and only, kid.”

“If you are indeed the corporal we know of, how can you prove that you are who you say you are?” Erwin asked.

“You never change, do you, Erwin? Okay then. I’m sure the rest of you would’ve been better off without knowing this, but Hange, you once put laxatives into Erwin’s coffee as a prank just before he had to go the meeting with Nile and the other pigs in the inner wall. And Erwin, you once got, and still have it I guess, a tramp stamp of a horseshoe the one time you were shitfaced drunk because you thought it would bring you good luck before an expedition.”

The room was deadly silent but there was the sound of blades hitting the floor before there was a high-pitched squeal. “LEVI!!!” Hange yelled out as they tackled the man down onto the floor. “IT’S YOU! IT’S REALLY YOU!”

The blond man sighed. “Did you have to tell _that_ story, Levi?” Erwin said in an exasperated tone of voice as he sheathed his blades.

Levi dodged the kisses that Hange was trying to slobber onto him before replying, “It made you believe that it’s me didn’t it?”

Erwin shook his head. “I suppose so,” he said in a fond voice.

The rest of the squad’s jaws dropped.

“Can it be?” Sasha whispered.

“There’s no way,” Jean also hushed out.

Mikasa dropped her blades and went over to the man, pushed Hange away before slapping him.

“Mikasa!” Armin yelled, trying to pull her away from the man.

“Where were you?!” she demanded, “We thought you went missing! Why didn’t you tell us you were safe? What-”

“Calm down, Mikasa,” Levi said. Shit, he forgot how strong she was as he gingerly rubbed his cheek. Damn, that hurt like hell especially since he wasn’t as strong as he used to be. “I guess we have a lot to talk about.”

* * *

“So in other words, you traveled back in time?” Armin asked.

“That’s what I’m assuming. So far, I’ve only jumped between different points of times in different worlds, but not once have I ever jumped back in time in the original world.”

“And how long has this been going on for?” Erwin asked.

Levi shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. The concept of time is irrelevant if every world has its own way of navigating it. But from what you told me, this is year 852, making this about 2000 years back from where I came from.”

Hange was visibly shaking. “THIS IS AMAZING! I have so many questions about the different lifetimes you lived through and all the things that have been invented! Can I run a few experiments on you? I bet you have some biohazardous particles inside you. And those things on your arms! Let me touch them!”

“Get away from me shitty glasses,” Levi grumbled as he shoved them away. “You do the exact same shit even 2000 years from now so hold your pants up.”

They burst out laughing at that. “Same old Levi I see!”

Levi rolled his eyes before looking at everyone in the room. “The main reason why I’m going through with this project that the future Hange and Erwin proposed is because I need to find Eren to fulfill my promise to him.”

“Find him?” Mikasa repeated.

“Yes, but I don’t know why I’ve been sent back in time when Eren’s already long gone in this world,” Levi grinded out.

“But Corporal Levi, sir, Eren’s body is still on this Earth,” Armin said.

“What?”

Hange nodded. “When we tried to find you two, you were nowhere to be found, but we did find Eren; however, his body started crystalizing. After we tried transporting him back, he was fully encased in his crystal. It was actually quite beautiful to see the slow crystallization progress until it surrounded him like a coffin.”

“So what you’re saying is, is that there’s a possibility that Eren’s alive?” Levi asked. If Eren was still alive in this world and encased in his crystal, then it made a lot of sense as to why he couldn’t find Eren.

Eren was here all along, not moving, waiting.

Waiting for Levi to find him, free him from the crystal that was his cage.

“Where is he? Bring me to him now,” Levi demanded.

Hange looked at Erwin and the man nodded. “Very well, follow us.” Erwin and Hange stood up with Levi following them towards the door. Before leaving the room, Erwin turned around to speak with the soldiers who were still left in the room. “As you should know, please keep the corporal’s missing status to yourselves. Deny any allegations about his whereabouts until the rumors die off. It’s possible that Levi will go back to where he came from once he does what he needs to do here.”

“Yes, sir!” they saluted.

Erwin nodded and they moved again until Mikasa called out for Levi. “Corporal!”

“Yes?”

“Please keep Eren safe,” she said in a soft voice.

Levi nodded. “I promise.” He looked at the rest of the group in the room, the ones who survived the great titan war and were still in the Survey Corps even a year after it all. “I will see you idiots soon.”

“See ya Corporal!”

“Good luck!”

“Make sure to use protection when you guys f- ow! Fuck, Mikasa! That hurts!”

Levi smirked as he closed the door behind him. “Nothing will ever change I suppose,” he mumbled.

“Oh, they’ve changed plenty,” Erwin said. “Since the return from our victory, they all have been further promoted as squad leaders of their own teams to reclaimed more land outside the walls. Humanity has made many and great strides over the course of the year, and with the crown’s help, our enrolment numbers increase every day. Historia is doing a splendid job as queen and it seems that we’re finally going to establish settlements outside the walls in a few weeks if all goes well.”

Levi rolled his eyes as he followed his former comrades down the halls. “Sounds like you’re her advisor or some shit.”

“He actually is!” Hange piped in. "He now has the dual position of the queen’s advisor and the Scouting Legion’s hero commander. It’s quite admirable.”

“It’s not so much admirable as it’s what I can only do now,” the blond man gestured to the empty space to where his arm used to be. “I’m grateful that I’m still able to benefit humanity in some way.”

“I have some good news for you then. You’ll be reborn with your arms intact, and if you lose them again, we have the technology for them to regenerate,” Levi said.

Erwin chuckled. “That sounds great.”

“Humanity has figured out how to regenerate body parts without being a shifter?! That’s amazing!” There was that gleam in Hange’s eyes again.

Levi shrugged. “Lots of shit happened over the years. Some good, some bad, but you’ll be able to see through it eventually.”

They walked through the corridors lit up by crystals until they reached a locked door. Erwin pulled out a key and unlocked it, the hinges making loud creaking sounds as it echoed through the empty passage.

Hange walked in first as they had the crystal lantern with the men following them. Levi’s nose scrunched up as he thought about all the potential dust that collected down there since he was gone.

There were a series of more twists and turns as they walked into the dark area until a soft glow came into view. Levi felt himself walking faster as he got closer and closer to the light, his mind reeling in the fact that Eren was near.

One more turn and Levi’s heart started to beat rapidly, a feeling that he long forgotten since the last time he saw Eren.

There he was, encased in a crystal not unlike Annie’s when she was crystalized. His eyes were closed and still the same since the last time Levi saw him, bloody wound and all.

He slowly walked over to where Eren was, his hand shaking as he reached out to touch the barrier between him and the brunet. “Eren…”

“Much like how the human body will have heat travel to the main core where the heart is when it’s cold, we believe that his titan powers made him crystalize in a last-minute attempt to preserve the host body,” Hange said behind him.

“Since the day of humanity’s victory, Eren showed no signs of life or waking up for that matter,” Erwin added.

Levi was silent as his friends tried to explain the situation, but he didn’t care. All he could see was that there was another wall between him and Eren, a wall that he started to pound his fists on, hoping that it would break.

“Levi, stop! You know it’s futile,” Hange said as they reached over to stop him, but was pulled back. Turning their head, they saw Erwin shaking his head. “Just let him be, Hange. It has been many years since he has last seen Eren and that crystal is the only obstacle in his way now.”

Turning his attention to the former corporal, he said in a louder voice, “Levi, do what you need to do to get Eren out of there.” He grabbed Hange’s arm and pulled them away from the scene. Without looking back, he muttered, “Good luck,” as he and Hange left Levi wailing on the hard crystal.

Levi’s hands throbbed as he threw punch after punch until his knuckles started to bleed.

All the years of exhaustion finally caught up to him as he slumped down in front of Eren, not caring about his wounded hands or the tears trailing down his cheeks.

He couldn’t even stifle the sob as his emotions went into overdrive.

Eren was right there.

Eren.

_His Eren._

His Eren was _right there_.

He let out a frustrated cry as he kept calling out Eren’s name as he continued to punch the crystal wall again. “Eren. Eren. Eren!”

He heard rather than felt something crack and he looked down to his bloody and broken fingers. His mind finally cleared enough for him to finally process what he was doing and he couldn’t help but laugh darkly at the sheer audacity of it all.

It figured that Eren was right here, in the original world, forever stuck in time.

And now that Levi knew, he couldn’t do anything about it.

He slumped forward, his forehead touching the crystal. “Eren,” he said softly.

There was no response as Levi expected but he continued speaking anyway. “Eren, I waited 2000 years for you. Lived through 8 lifetimes trying to find you yet you’re still here, trapped.”

He sighed. “Do you know how worried I was, you shitty brat? I know you hate it when I call you that but you can’t blame me for feeling a little more than frustrated at this point. You’re right in front me yet I can’t do shit but watch you from here.

“I can’t fulfill our promises if you’re still here, Eren. I can’t make you smile or laugh if you’re stuck in there. I can’t even fucking hold and kiss you the way you like if you’re not in my arms.”

He felt fresh tears stinging his eyes. “We promised that we would be together forever.”

Again, there was no response. “I love you, Eren. I will always love you. If this is where you’ll stay, then I’ll stay here too.”

He stood up and pressed his hands on the crystal. “But there’s so much out there to see, Eren. The world is so big and there is actually more than one. Ones that are so much more interesting than ours. So many worlds to explore and I want to see and experience them with you by my side. So please, Eren. Please get out of there and be with me. I beg of you.”

Levi was met with silence again and his heart dropped.

He muffled his sobs as he felt his entire being break as he fell onto the ground once more, trying to tend his broken heart.

All the emotions he bottled in through the years finally broke through. He cried and cried his feelings out right in front of Eren.

Never had he ever felt as hopeless as he was now.

Maybe later he would pull himself together and try to think of ways to get Eren out, but for now, he would allow himself this moment of weakness.

“Eren. Eren,” he repeated like a lover who lost his significant other and desperately waiting for reply back.

But that was what it was, wasn’t it?

“Levi.”

He remembered the way Eren called his name in that gentle tone.

“Levi, look at me.”

Eren would say that whenever he injured himself and Levi got mad at his reckless behavior.

“Levi, please.”

Were the words Eren would utter whenever he needed Levi to listen to him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

He doesn’t remember when Eren ever said that until now when he felt warmth envelop him.

Levi stopped his sobbing as he felt arms circle his waist as the person pulled him closer to the familiar embrace. “E-Eren…?”

“Your one and only.”

Levi pushed the body away from him, ignoring the pain that shot through from his hands as his mind stopped when he saw the person before him.

Eren was right in front of him. The crystal gone and nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t matter to Levi anymore. _Eren was right there in front of him._

His body moved forward and held the brunet close to him, afraid that if he let Eren go, he would disappear from him. “Eren- Eren is it- Is it-”

“It’s me, Levi,” Eren reassured, rubbing circles on the sides of Levi’s body. “I’m here.”

Levi parted away, just enough so he could see Eren’s face. It was exactly like he was the last few moments he saw him. The difference this time, was that Eren was still alive than the last time he saw him. “How-”

“I don’t have much time, Levi,” Eren said. “I wasn’t able to heal in time so my body decided to crystalize to stop me from dying.” He reached to cup Levi’s cheek, wiping the tears away. “I’m so sorry that I made you wait so long, Levi. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Levi turned his face to kiss the hand that was turning cold. “It’s okay, Eren. I just miss you so damn much. Please, please don’t leave me again.”

“Always so forgiving, aren’t you?” Eren smiled as he kissed Levi’s forehead, his vision getting shaky and his heartbeat slowing down. “I have to go this time, Levi, it’s only fair. I’ve made you wait so long, so I need to make it right this time around.”

Levi watched as Eren’s body starting to disappear before him, but he continued to stare into Eren’s eyes. “Promise?”

Eren smiled. “I promise.” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, but Levi only felt the ghost of the kiss as Eren disappeared before him.

His arm started to beep again and as he let the white light surround him, Levi smiled.

_‘It’s a promise.’_

* * *

“It’s a boy!”

“Hange, please, not so loud. We don’t know how sensitive he is right now.”

“Urgh,” Levi groaned as he opened his eyes and got immediately blinded from the light. There was a screech and Levi grimaced. “Hange, if that’s you, would you kindly shut the fuck up?”

“Ohhh! He’s our Levi alright. Seems like his health and vital body parts are good too. No signs of any memory loss or illness either. Here, drink some water to revitalize your brain.”

Levi felt a cool glass on his lips before he gulped down the liquid, slightly coughing when it went down too fast.

“Hange, stop that, you’re going to choke him.”

“There! How are you feeling Levi? What do you have to report? Oh, this is so exciting! I have so many questions to ask you!”

Levi groaned as he blinked a few times as he looked around him. Nothing changed, the wires attached to the TASHI were still there and same with the holographic monitors. It was like he never left the world. “How long was I out for?”

“You were gone for a whole year, Levi,” Erwin answered. “It’s December 25, 2852 to be exact.”

Levi groaned as he rubbed his temples. “Really? It felt longer than that.”

“Mr. Levi!”

There was a whirring sound as a robotic orb came into view. “Mr. Levi! Welcome back!”

“Hey, LAPA,” he reached to pet the floating device. “Is everything at home in order?”

“Pristine, Mr. Levi! I made sure to dust every day and wipe down all the furniture and appliances.”

Levi smiled. “Thank you, LAPA. Sorry that I left for so long.”

“That’s okay! I’m glad you’re back, Mr. Levi.” LAPA floated off to the side as Hange took a quick look at Levi’s body, poking and prodding to see if there were was anything different. “Hm, it seems like you’re in the same condition before you left. How interesting.”

Levi shrugged as he looked over to Erwin. “So, anything new while I was gone?”

Erwin smiled. “Something like that.”

The black-haired man raised an eyebrow at that until Erwin stepped away and his eyes widened when he saw who was there. “Eren.”

Eren gave him a gentle smile that he loved so much. “Hello again, Levi.”

Next thing before anyone knew, Eren was sprawled onto the ground with Levi pressing kisses all over his face. “ErenErenEren.”

Eren was laughing as Levi finally pulled away, tears threatening to spill from his vibrant green eyes, as he whispered, “I’m finally here, Levi, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“WELL,” Hange said loudly, snapping the two’s attention as they looked at their smirking face. “I guess we’ll give you guys some alone time, but Levi, the moment you’re done having ‘I-miss-you-so-much’ sex with Eren, we’ll need answers from you about your journey,” they said, laughing at their red faces.

Erwin shook his head as he pushed Hange away, ignoring the way that Eren was holding Levi back from attacking them. “What they mean is, is that we’ll speak with you after you two catch up,” he said as he left the room with Hange.

“Mr. Levi, I’m glad that you’ve returned safely. I shall immediately return home to make your favorite meals,” LAPA said.

“Thank you, LAPA. I will return as soon as I can.”

The floating orb made a few beeping sounds as affirmation as it also left the room, leaving Eren and Levi alone to themselves.

The two stared at each other, a million thoughts passing through their heads and so many questions left unspoken, but it didn’t matter at that moment. There would be plenty of time later to figure out how it was possible that Eren was in this lifetime. But for now, all Levi wanted to do was treasure this moment with Eren.

_A promise to see Eren again._

Levi sat up and pulled Eren up with him.

_A promise to make Eren smile again._

Eren smiled as he cupped Levi’s cheeks with his hands.

_A promise to make Eren laugh again._

Levi leaned forward to nuzzle his nose with Eren’s, making the brunet laugh.

_A promise to hold Eren again._

The black-haired man pulled Eren closer to him, holding him close as he felt Eren’s heartbeat sync with his.

_A promise to kiss Eren again._

They met each other in the middle as they connected their lips together in a slow, meaningful kiss. Their eyes were closed as they focused on the pair of familiar lips on their own, memorizing the touch and warmth.

_A promise to love Eren over and over again._

When they pulled away, Levi stared into Eren’s eyes as he uttered, “I love you, Eren.”

_A promise to be there until the very end._

Eren smiled as he placed a chaste kiss on Levi’s lips. “I love you too, Levi.”

_A final promise that should they be reborn in a different life that they would love each other again._

“Promise me that you’ll stay by my side, Eren. I think 2000 years is enough waiting for me.”

_Together forever, the promise that they first made._

Eren’s laugh was like music to his ears. “I promise, Levi. You don’t need to wait for me anymore.”

They shared a few more kisses until they were on the floor again, not once letting the other out of their grasp.

Eren managed to roll on top of Levi as he grinned down at the man. “Happy Birthday, Levi.”

Levi snorted as he tickled Eren’s side, loving the way that Eren’s smile grew wider as he tried to squirm away from the unseen attack. He eventually stopped but then pulled Eren down for another slow kiss.

Relishing in the faint blush once they pulled away, Levi whispered on Eren’s lips, “Welcome home, Eren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I ended it in the cheesiest way possible, but I needed it to mend my heart from writing this. 
> 
> This story was out of my usual comfort zone (I live for fluff) but it was an interesting experience and I'm glad I finished it! ^^


End file.
